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‘Le Lyonnais,' a Long-Lost French Steamship, Has Been Discovered Off the Massachusetts Coast

Salvage teams will try to retrieve artifacts from the historically-significant vessel.

‘Le Lyonnais’ (not pictured above) has been discovered after nearly 200 years.
‘Le Lyonnais’ (not pictured above) has been discovered after nearly 200 years. | ultramarinfoto/GettyImages

Shipwrecks continue to be a source of fascination for maritime historians and the general public alike. The image of a once-powerful vessel claimed by the sea is a testament to human fallibility, perhaps, or a sign that nature can often trump ingenuity.

Now, another ship thought lost has been discovered. The French passenger steamship Le Lyonnais, missing since 1856, has been located in the Atlantic Ocean.

According to the Associated Press, the salvage firm Atlantic Wreck Salvage worked with the dive vessel D/V Tenacious to locate the ship roughly 200 miles off New Bedford, Massachusetts, in August. The work followed years of investigation, including sonar and historical research, to pinpoint its geographical location.

While Le Lyonnais is not as recognizable as other famous wrecks, its discovery is significant. The ship—which measured roughly 260 feet long—was among the French steamships to ferry passengers between New York and France. It was a hybrid ship, with sails as well as a steam engine, reflecting the evolution in sea travel in the 19th century.

On November 2, 1856, Le Lyonnais was en route to Le Havre in France when it collided with the sailing ship Adriatic. While the latter ship remained afloat, the accident left a hole in the hull of Le Lyonnais that resulted in its slowly sinking over three days. Of the 132 people aboard, 114 perished.

Historian Jennifer Sellitti dubbed it a “maritime hit-and-run,” as the crew of the Adriatic initially failed to disclose the accident when they arrived in port in Massachusetts.

Atlantic Wreck Salvage will next work to chronicle the wreckage and determine what artifacts can be retrieved from the site.

“Finding it in some ways is closure, in some ways is the end,” Sellitti told the Associated Press. “In some ways it’s the beginning—documenting it, determining what is down there and what should be brought up [...] This was a very early example of a steam engine.”

Le Lyonnais is buried deeply in sand, though its specific depth has not been revealed. The salvage team is declining to disclose the ship’s exact resting place to prevent others from visiting the site.

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